Latest Releases
U.S. Senator Tina Smith, Colleagues to Introduce Bipartisan Legislation Expanding Pell Grant Use to Job Training Programs
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) joined her colleagues Susan Collins (R-ME), Tim Kaine (D-VA), and Roger Marshall (R-KS) to introduce the bipartisan Jumpstarting Our Businesses by Supporting Students (JOBS) Act, legislation allowing Americans to use federal Pell Grants—need-based education grants for lower-income individuals—to pay for shorter-term job training programs. Currently, Pell Grants can only be used for two- and four-year colleges and universities. The JOBS Act expands their applicability, allowing Pell Grants to be used for shorter-term, high-skill job training. “Some of the most in-demand, high-paying jobs don’t require a four-year college degree – jobs like welders, machine operators and medical technicians. We need to make it easier to get people into these careers, and letting students use Pell Grants to help make it happen just makes sense,” said Senator Smith. “This bill will open up more career opportunities for people and will help boost our economy.” Senator Smith regularly hears from students who are interested in technical education, but who face real financial barriers to paying for high-quality job training programs. And she also regularly hears from employers who have trouble finding qualified workers for available positions. Minnesota has five Metropolitan Statistical Areas with 3.2 percent unemployment rates or lower. Over the past four years, almost 15 million jobs were added to the American economy thanks to landmark legislation like the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Despite this, the United States is experiencing a skilled labor shortage, which is only expected to grow in the next few years. The JOBS Act will help to close that
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Named Top Democrat on the Senate Housing Subcommittee
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) today was named Ranking Member on the Senate Housing, Transportation, and Community Development Subcommittee on the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs for the 119th Congress. The Chair of the Subcommittee is Senator Katie Britt (R-AL). Smith has long championed bipartisan solutions to lower the costs for families to rent or buy a safe, decent, affordable place to live. Today, in more than 90 percent of counties, minimum wage workers cannot afford to rent even a modest one-bedroom apartment. More than half of America’s 44 million renters are spending more than 30 percent of their income on rent, more than ever before. According to the Minnesota Housing Partnership, every county in Minnesota has a shortage of affordable and available rental homes for extremely low-income households. “Without a safe, decent and affordable place to live, nothing in your life works. It becomes nearly impossible to hold a job, go to school, or stay healthy,” said Senator Smith. “Our country is facing a housing crisis, with supply falling dramatically behind demand. I’ve spent my years in the Senate working with anyone who wants to work with me, regardless of party, to find ways to address the housing crisis. For several years, the Housing, Transportation and Community Development Subcommittee has been working in a bipartisan way on important measures to preserve affordable rural housing in small towns and Tribal communities, to cut red tape that hinders construction of more housing, and to make it easier to get around. I’m excited to keep working on solutions alongside new Chair Katie Britt.” “Our nation is facing
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Seeks Answers From Insurance Companies on Mental Health Care “Ghost Networks”
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), and Steve Daines (R-Mont.) led a bipartisan letter to Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Humana, and United Healthcare regarding “ghost networks” that make it difficult for patients to find in-network providers. According to a March 2022 US Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, problems include inaccurate or out-of-date information on provider networks. Ghost networks occur when providers are listed as in-network on an insurer’s website but are no longer in-network, accepting new patients, or even in business. The problem of ghost networks is especially prevalent in mental health care and worsened during
U.S. Senator Tina Smith, Colleagues Re-Introduce Bill to Expand Affordable Housing Access for Low-Income Families
WASHINGTON – This week, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation, and Community Development, joined a group of five Senate colleagues in re-introducing legislation to improve the federal government’s largest rental assistance program. The bipartisan Choice in Affordable Housing Act would make it easier to access Housing Choice Vouchers (HCV), also known as Section 8 vouchers, and attract and retain landlords to the program. As a result, low-income families will have increased housing choices and improved access to high-opportunity neighborhoods. The bill is led by Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) and
Klobuchar, Smith Secure Significant Federal Funding to Expand and Upgrade I-94 in Wright County
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that they have secured $3 million in federal funding through the Fiscal Year 2023 budget to expand and upgrade a stretch of the Interstate 94 (I-94) highway in Wright County. “This federal funding will help expand and upgrade I-94, improving safety and mobility on this critical route. I am proud to have worked with local leaders to secure this funding, and I know that these resources will make a real difference for so many communities,” said Klobuchar. “The I-94 expansion project will improve access to the Interstate and reduce
U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s Bipartisan Legislation to Provide Transparency For Those Looking to Purchase Popular Long-Term Savings Vehicles Signed Into Law
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) announced her bipartisan legislation with Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) to help provide transparency for consumers looking to purchase popular, long-term savings vehicles was signed into law as part of the bipartisan government funding bill. The law will help ensure that investors considering purchasing Registered Index Linked Annuities (RILAs) get clear and direct information that promotes investor understanding. “It’s more important than ever for consumers to have clear and concise information about their investments,” said Smith. “This legislation would help consumers looking to purchase RILAs by providing clear information about their potential investments
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